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Activity Funded

The Political Economy of Democracy Building: the production and employment system, public provision and institutions

A Economia Política da Construção da Democracia: sistema produtivo e de emprego, provisão pública e instituições

Reference
2023.10849.25ABR
Project Start Date
2024-09-01
Project End Date
2026-08-31
Principal Investigator
Coinvestigator
Scientific Area
Social sciences
Funding Program
O 25 de Abril e a democracia portuguesa

Abstract

This project is about the construction of economic democracy in the immediate post-25 April period. It will study fundamental aspects of the economic structure and its evolution, seeking to understand the mechanisms that favoured the internal structuring and institutionalization of new social relations in the fields of provision. The project will also focus on the institutions formed during thefirst phase of democracy and the debates this gave rise to, as well as how the democratic revolution influenced intellectual interest in Portugal, giving rise to new international relationships in the field of ideas. Given the time frame, it is based on just three main analytical axes. The first is to deepen our understanding of the Political Economy of the post-25 April 1974 period, starting by studying two of its fundamental features: job creation and the structuring of public provision in social areas. In fact, this period differs radically from the previous one (the last decade of the Estado Novo). While the later had a mediocre job creation record (not even an increase of 40,000 between 1960 and 1970 and, as a result, 1.4 million Portuguese emigrated), democracy produced remarkable effects on employment (400,000 new jobs between 1974 and 1985). It is now a question of deepening this knowledge by studying the factors and dynamics of growth, sectors, apprenticeships, qualifications, geographical distribution and the new interrelationships generated internally, including the reallocation of employment. The second feature of democratization was the construction of public provision in the spheres of health, housing or education. The formation of a public administration with the capacity to respond to the organization of the country gave density to these processes. We are dealing with public policies on various scales, both spatial and regional, which boosted the economy and society as a whole. General knowledge about this period and about these two issues is reasonably structured, but it is neither in-depth nor developed. This is the aim now. This will provide a better understanding of how this “democratic cycle” fits in with the other cycles that have shaped the trajectory of the Portuguese economy and society over the last fifty years and how, in itself, it has been one of the most important development cycles of our times. The second axis will develop the relationship between this form of Political Economy and the creation of new institutions, on the one hand, and, on the other, the economic thought of the time, expressed in the reflections and actions of important public intellectuals. Indeed, the enshrinement of solid conventions on social rights and duties, collective bargaining, the establishment of the welfare state or public provision formed a solid institutional architecture, which was the result of structured economic thinking. Francisco Pereira de Moura, João Cravinho, João Martins Pereira, Manuela Silva or Mário Murteira will be some of the thinker scrutinized in this regard. In addition to their published work, we propose an original contribution that will be based on the documentary collection that the 25 de Abril Documentation Center of the University of Coimbra has in this area. While the first two tasks focus on what happened in Portugal, the third will look at the international context. There are two dimensions to this context that will be researched. The first has to do with the profound change in the ways in which Portuguese society and the economy are internationally integrated. The country of emigration and scant presence in international trade became part of much more active processes, both material and institutional, culminating in adhesion to the EEC. The second dimension relates to intellectual curiosity and the interest of foreign social scientists in our country. Starting with a chronology of events in Portugal and their impact on international relations, we will try to identify how interest in Portugal developed abroad and how relations were established between Portuguese and foreign academics. We hope to conclude with an original interpretation of the economic cycle following April 25, based on structural data on the economy (employment, intersectoral dynamics and relations, qualifications and job reallocation) and the role of public provision. This will allow it to be compared with previous andsubsequent cycles in a way that is expected to be original. It will be linked to the economic ideas of that period through works and unpublished information. In short, it will offer an interpretation of the Political Economy of April 25.

Institutions

Main Institutions

  • Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Estudos Sociais (UC CES)

Funding 24.988,20 €

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - Portugal

24.988,20 €